NC Opens First of Its Kind 911 Network Monitoring & Assistance Center

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The N.C. Department of Information Technology on Thursday officially opened the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center (NMAC), which will help support an uninterrupted flow of communication for emergency call centers that have adopted next-generation 911 technology.

NC DIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette and N.C. 911 Board Executive Director Pokey Harris were joined by 911 board members and staff in Raleigh for a ribbon cutting unveiling the center. The first of its kind in the nation, it is staffed 24/7 and equipped to monitor service and performance on North Carolina’s new digital emergency services network, called ESInet.

Sixteen of the state’s 127 911 centers – including those in Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Martin, Polk, Robeson, Richmond, Scotland, Wake and Wilson counties – have already migrated to ESInet.

Under state law, the remainder must develop and fully implement plans to migrate no later than July 1, 2021.

“As more and more 911 centers across the state upgrade their technology to support next-generation 911 services, the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center will play an important role in making sure services run smoothly across the state,” Boyette said.

For example, technicians monitoring ESInet can quickly reroute emergency calls to other 911 centers as they identify increased trends in emergency calls – particularly in cases such as severe weather or major events that draw large volumes of people to a particular area.

During Hurricane Dorian, technicians at the NMAC were prepared to assist in rerouting calls from the coast to counties farther inland, however, it was not necessary.

“The NMAC can immediately troubleshoot network issues and help behind the scenes to provide seamless 911 coverage, so emergency personnel can focus on helping North Carolina residents get the assistance they need as quickly as possible,” Harris said.

ESInet, or the Emergency Services IP Network, makes that possible.

It enables call centers to connect through high-speed internet-based routing services to more quickly and effectively communicate with callers as well as other 911 centers.

The ability to reroute emergency calls is one important capability. Call centers also have the option to let users send photos and videos, in addition to voice calls and text messages.

ESInet is a core function of Next Generation 911 – an upgrade to the current 911 system, which was developed in the 1960s – to ensure residents can access 911 services regardless of their location or how their communicating.

“Although reliable, our current 911 system can no longer accommodate how we communicate today,” Boyette said. “Fewer people are using landline phones, and the popularity of wearables and other digital communication services are on the rise. Our residents expect to be able to communicate these ways. And that’s where NC DIT comes in.”

Here’s When Fall Colors Are Predicted To Peak in North Carolina in 2019

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North Carolina’s 2019 fall colors are expected to be some of the brightest and most beautiful in years.

The average temperature this year is 54.27°F degrees, which is the 45th warmest year on record, according to NOAA. This year has also been the wettest year on record with a total of 24.59″ of rain, which will result in a slightly later and brighter fall color season.

North Carolina’s peak season will start toward the end of October in the higher elevations and run until the middle of November in the Piedmont.

According to SmokyMountains.com, colors should be at their peak around November 2nd in the mountains and Nov. 9th in Charlotte;

To see the best views in our state, you can browse our list of the ‘Top 10 Best Places To See Fall Colors Around North Carolina‘, or check out The Comprehensive Guide To The Blueridge Parkway Vistas.

Gastonia Woman Hit and Killed By Train

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Yesterday afternoon, a Gastonia woman was struck by a Norfolk Southern train and tragically died on the tracks, according to Gastonia Police.

The incident occurred on tracks near the end of South Vance Street as an eastbound train was traveling from Birmingham, Alabama to Linwood, North Carolina;

One witness saw the woman pushing a grocery cart across the tracks and thinks the cart got stuck.

Last night, The Norfolk Southern Railway sent out the following statement:

At about 4:20 p.m., a Norfolk Southern train struck and fatally injured an individual on the railroad tracks in Gastonia, North Carolina.

The eastbound train was en route from Birmingham, Alabama, to Linwood, North Carolina, when the incident occurred.

Norfolk Southern personnel assisted local law enforcement in investigating the incident.

At Norfolk Southern, the safety of our employees and the communities we serve is our number one priority. Norfolk Southern reminds the public that it is extremely dangerous, and also trespassing, to walk on or within the right-of-way of railroad tracks. People should cross tracks only at designated crossings and use extreme caution at all times.

The identity of the victim has not yet been released.

Uptown Charlotte Holds A World Record For The Largest Domino Ever Toppled

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Prudential Financial filmed a commercial in Uptown Charlotte which ended up breaking a Guinness World Record by accident.

The company toppled a 30-foot-tall domino as part of a demonstration about the way small retirement savings add up over time. The successful domino toppling resulted in a new world record, with the largest tablet, which was 30 feet tall, being knocked down at the end of the chain.

Here is a behind-the-scenes video of how they did it;

There’s A Growing Chance That Colin Kaepernick Will Become The Carolina Panthers Quarterback

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Now that Cam Newton has re-injured his foot and lost the first 2 games of the season, many are wondering if it’s time to make a change.

Given that our 2 backup QBs failed to impress in the pre-season and the free agent roster doesn’t look much better, commentators, coaches, and fans are increasingly considering the possibility of hiring Colin Kaepernick to replace Cam (or at least one of our backups).

Earlier this year, Kaepernick’s Attorney Mark Geragos told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that he thinks Carolina might be one of the most likely candidates to recruit his client.

“If Cam Newton is out, then the natural place to be is to play with Eric (Reid) in Carolina. I mean can you imagine? And you’ve got an owner there,” Geragos noted. The Panthers’ liberal new owner, David Tepper, did recently approve the extension of controversial safety Eric Reid, who both played with and kneeled with Kaepernick in San Francisco.

Geragos also commented of Kaepernick, “He absolutely wants to play. He wants to compete at the highest level. I mean this is a competitive young man… This is someone who’s in his prime. You get smarter at that position, and he’s wise beyond his years.”

The former 49er was considered one of the leagues top QBs while on the team, and according to many evaluators, he’s still more talented than most currently unsigned QBs.

According to reporter Chris Williamson, Colin is rumored to be in the “best shape of his life”;

There’s also a growing movement among Carolina fans to bring the former 49er to the Queen City.

Yesterday when we posted an article about Cam missing the first practice after the Buc’s loss, a surprising number of people posted very positive comments about Kaepernick;

Many also believe there are strong political, social, and economic reasons for bringing Colin to the Carolinas.

The Panthers have already learned that a player who speaks out for social justice can be a boost to the bottom line after signing Eric Reid last year.

Signing Reid’s former teammate could be an even bigger boost in terms of jersey sales, network attention, and liberal praise from around the world (likely outweighing any negative push-back from the anti-BLM camps).

What do you think about bringing Colin Kaepernick to the Carolinas?

Charlotte Men Ranked As Having The Most Diverse Style in America

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When it comes to fashion we always hear about New York City and Los Angeles, however Trendy Butler, a men’s subscription clothing service, recently conducted a study analyzing the style profiles of 29,069 customers in 4,986 cities across America and determined that Charlotte men have the most diverse style in the country. Additionally, the study found that Charlotte area men trail only St. Paul, Minn. and Everett, Wash. when it comes to wearing the most plaid.

Trendy Butler, founded in 2014 and based in Los Angeles, uses Artificial Intelligence to style their clients. When a man signs up for the service, he answers seven style-specific questions to help the algorithms learn their individual preferences. The longer the customer is a member, the more pinpointed the algorithm becomes. To put this into perspective, the national return rate for E-Commerce apparel is roughly 30-percent, while Trendy Butler’s comes in just under four-percent.

To determine the diversity in each city, the Trendy team sorted through thousands of pieces of data and analyzed the number of people in almost 5,000 cities who like their shirts with patterns, plaid or plain and the different style of pants they prefer including baggy, skinny, straight leg and denim versus khaki.

Top-five cities with the most diverse style:

#1 Charlotte, N.C.
#2 Washington, DC
#3 Baltimore, Md.
#4 Tampa, Fla.
#5 Minneapolis, Minn.

Top-five cities with the most plaid:

#1 St. Paul, Minn.
#2 Everett, Wash.
#3 Charlotte, N.C.
#4 Bronx, N.Y.
#5 Minneapolis, Minn.

These Are The Fastest Growing Suburbs Around The Charlotte Region

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fastest-growing-suburbs-around-charlotteCharlotte is now one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and that it includes its suburbs. Many of the once small towns that encircle Charlotte are even seeing higher growth numbers than the city itself.

The #1 fastest growing suburb…by a long shot…is Waxhaw. The population of the small town to the South East of Charlotte grew by a staggering 37 percent over the past 5 years – making it the fastest-growing suburb in the Charlotte metro area, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. During that time, Waxhaw added over 3,600 residents, bringing the total headcount to nearly 13,500.

Tega Cay and Fort Mill also saw impressively high growth at over 20% as more and more people continue to move just over the border to save on taxes and gas.

Using census data figures, these are the fastest growing suburbs around the Charlotte region:

 

Charlotte Sports News You Need To Know About

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If you’re a fan of sports, you’re going to live residing in Charlotte. The city is home to some of the best sports teams in the country. The Charlotte Hornets always put on exciting games. Plus, you’re going to be able to watch the Carolina Panthers. Then, there are many high school and amateur sports to enjoy. Well, you should know that the Charlotte sports scene might be changing in the future. Within this article, you’re going to learn about the latest Charlotte sports news so you can be prepared for these potential changes.

Kaepernick

During the past few years, Colin Kaepernick has been blacklisted by the NFL. The quarterback hasn’t been able to find a sport on any team. However, there is a lot of talk that Colin could soon make his way back to the National Football League. Is there a possibility that he is going to end up in Charlotte? Cam Newton has played the position for the past few years but it is clear that his talent has faded very rapidly. Fans of the team are concerned that their team is going to have limited success with Newton leading the pack. Well, there is some discussion that Colin could become the quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.

At this point, it is a rumor but anything can happen. If it does, you can guarantee that this is going to stir some controversy. After all, there are some fans that would prefer Colin never make it back to the big leagues.

Cam Newton

If you take a look at Australian pokies news, you’re going to find out that many people are not too impressed with Carolina this year. This season, the Carolina Panthers have played two games. On September the 8th, they played against the Rams. The game ended with a final score of 30 to 27 in favor of the Rams. Their second game was played on September the 12th. Again, the Panthers lost. This time, they were beaten by the Buccaneers. The final score was 20 to 14. Suffice to say, the Panthers have two losses and no wins.

This is concerning for fans and much of it has to do with Cam Newton. Well, it has been said that Newton is dealing with another foot injury. He did something on the field that has his old injury flaring up again. He was a no show for the latest practice and that is not a good sign for fans. Someone close to the team said that Newton was low about it because he wants to compete so badly.

Rivera doesn’t have a clue when Newton could return. If he cannot play during week 3, he will be replaced by Kyle Allen who was signed as a rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. Allen managed to secure the backup job during training camp. Will he able to help the team regain success and win a few games? Fans will find out soon enough. The Panthers are scheduled to play against the Cardinals on September the 22nd.

The team doesn’t have a win either. However, they did go to overtime with the Lions.

The Tar Heels

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Tar Heels have looked pretty good this season. They have a record of 2 and 1 with wins over Miami and South Carolina. The team was beaten by Wake Forest in its last game with a score of 18 to 24. It was a competitive game until the very end. The Tar Heels should be able to pick up a win against Appalachian State on the 21st. The team is favored to win and they should do just that. Then, they’ll be looking forward to a tough showdown with the undefeated Clemson.

The Hurricanes

Finally, you should know that the NHL preseason is now underway. The Hurricanes will play again today. So far, their preseason has started out well. They played the Lightning yesterday and won with a score of 3 to 0. The team will square off against the Lightning once again at 7 PM. The Hurricanes are the favorite at this point. Then, they can look forward to a game against the Capitals and two games against the Nashville Predators. Remember that the regular season is right around the corner.

Online Slot Tips for Newbies to Online Casinos

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By playing slots in online casinos for real money, you can find an excellent opportunity to get rich at a minimal cost, but to really win big you need to know some secrets of professional players.

Play progressive jackpot slots

Many online slot machines offer players a progressive jackpot. The chances of a progressive slot machine always vary depending on the size of the jackpot. In fact, when the progressive jackpot gets big enough, it’s even possible that a slot machine may come in handy!

Before starting the game, make sure that you read the rules of each progressive jackpot. The more bets you make, the more chances you have to win.

Look at the payment tables of the slot machine

In every slot machine game, there is a payout table. Some of the best online slots offer huge prizes even without a progressive jackpot if you manage to get lucky combination of certain symbols. Take a look at each of the slot machines you are interested in and compare their payrolls. You may find that one or two slot machines clearly offer better prizes than the others, and these are the games you should play.

Pay attention to bonus games and the availability of free spins in online casinos

We recommend that you carefully read each of the bonus games that you plan to play and do not ignore the free spins that can be obtained by registering at the casino or for playing slot game. In addition to the fact that you can get no-deposit slot machines, you may find an online slot for yourself with lucrative bonus rounds.

Check the number of symbols in the online slot

Most players ignore this. If there are more symbols on the reels, creating winning combinations will be much more difficult! On the other hand, a game with ten symbols of a slot or less will be paid more often.

Check payment lines

In modern gambling with slot machines, a completely new world is opened for players: many machines offer 10, 20 or even 50 paylines, which potentially gives you dozens of ways to win every spin. The new 243 Ways slot machines are even more reliable, allowing players to pay one low price to cover all possible winning combinations. Such slot machines often offer players the best value, as they maximize your chances of winning without requiring you to pay for each payline.

Check online slot

Do not rush to spend your money, you can play free online slots using the demo version or free casino bonuses. If you decide that the slot suits you, you can make a deposit and get closer to winning.

Luck factor

You must understand that you cannot impact on success. Values ​​fall randomly. This applies to the random number generator. You have an equal chance of winning with each rotation of the drum.

Follow Bankroll Management Rule

The more money you have in your account, the higher the stakes you can make. Conversely, if your bankroll is not large enough, you should make small bets. This rule will prevent big losses of money.

Receive casino bonuses

Be sure to take advantage of the casino bonuses offered to new players for registration without a deposit. Free money or free spins will give you the opportunity to try different slots without spending a penny of your own money. But do not forget that before withdrawing money, all casino bonuses must be met with specific requirements of a wager.

Cam Newton Absent From First Practice After Panthers Loss Against The Bucs

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Cam Newton didn’t show up on the field today for the Panther’s first official practice since last week’s loss against the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Head coach Ron Rivera held a press conference after today’s practice to address the absence of his starting QB.

According to Rivera, “He [Cam] told us he had reaggravated [the foot] at some point during the game and that it was sore. So we are just going from there.”

When asked if Newton will return for Sunday’s game, Rivera said, “Well at the end of the day, nobody will know better than him, so my job, really, will be to handle the players that are playing and handle the quarterback situation as it goes.”

If Newton doesn’t end up taking the field, the Panther’s backup QB Kyle Allen would likely get his second career NFL start with rookie Will Grier moving into the backup role.